Nap band attachment for hair dryers



March 12, 1968 w. c. MORRISON 3,372,491

NAP BAND ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR DRYERS Filed Aug. 11, 1965 Y WILL/J C M022/60/V y 4m 5 44am United States Patent 3,372,491 NAP BAND ATTACHMENT FDR HAIR DRYERS Willa C. Morrison, 65 Santa Maria St., Palm Springs, Calif. 92262 Filed Aug. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 478,808 2 Claims. (Cl. 3499) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A head rest attachment for a hair dryer, consisting of a strap extending chordwise across the circular opening in the bottom of the dryer hood, and positioned to lie across the forehead of the person using the dryer so as to provide support for the head while the person naps. One end of the strap is connected to a spring-powered retractor mounted on one side of the hood, and the other end thereof is provided with an elongated loop ring that is engageable over a hook on the other side of the hood.

The present invention relates generally to hair dryers, such as are used in beauty salons all over the world, and more particularly to an attachment for the conventional hair dryer which makes it possible for the patron to enjoy a nap during the drying operation without getting a stiff neck or having her head fall against the rim of the dryer hood.

There have been attempts in the past to provide a head support that would enable a patron to doze while sitting under a hair dryer, but these have all been unsatisfactory due to the fact that they rely upon a strap or prop under the chin to support the head. The chin support has one serious defect that makes it totally unsuitable for the purpose, and that is the fact that the entire weight of the head is supported on the soft tissue lying between the throat and the point of the chin. When this soft tissue is compressed, breathing and swallowing are constricted, and the resulting discomfort makes it impossible to relax and doze off. The problem is compounded by the fact that the hinge point of the neck is located only a short horizontal distance back from the area engaged by the chin rest, and therefore there is only a short moment arm for the chin rest to act on. As a consequence, the unit pressure of the chin rest is relatively high, and is applied against some of the softest tissue in the body.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a nap band attachment for hair dryer hoods, that is soft and comfortable in use, and provides secure support for the head without constricting the throat or other portions of the head and neck.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for hair dryers that supports the head in a slightly forwardly tilted position, whereby the hair wound on rollers at the back of the head and on the upper neck is presented to the interior of the dryer, where it receives maximum exposure to circulating warm air, for most effective drying.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nap strap attachment for hair dryers that can easily be installed with a minimum of tools; that is inexpensive to manufacture; and that is quickly and easily removable for laundering purposes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a headsupporting strap of the class described which is retractable into a compact housing or spring retractor device mounted on one side of the dryer hood, where it is out of the way at all times, yet immediately available to the patron wishing to use it. All that the patron need do is reach up with one hand, draw the strap across the front of the dryer hood opening, and hook the free end thereof ice.

onto a hook at the other side of the hood. The strap is then ready for use.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a hair dryer, showing the nap strap of my invention, in use by a patron;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the dryer hood, show ing the roller end of the strap;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the open end of the dryer hood, showing the head rest strap of the invention in its normal operating position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the hook attachment end of the strap;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken at 55 in FIGURE 2, showing the retractor housing; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, showing the enlongated loop ring at one end of the strap, which is engaged over a hook member on the dryer hood.

In the drawings, the hair dryer is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, and comprises a generally hemispherical hood 12, having a circular opening 14 in the bottom side thereof, into which the patron places her head for the purpose of drying her hair. The hood 12 usually comprises an outer shell 16 and an inner shell 18, which are spaced apart to form a plenum chamber between them. Warm air is supplied to this plenum chamber, and is discharged through small openings in the inner shell 18 onto the hair of the patron. The hood 12 is supported at the rear on a stand formed of square conduit 24?, through which warm air is supplied to the dryer hood. The supporting conduit 20 has a hinge 22 and telescoping conduit section 24, which permits the dryer hood to be swung up out of the way when the patron sits down before the dryer or gets up therefrom.

The headrest strap of the invention is designated by the reference numeral 26, and is preferably made of nylon or Dacron, which are easy to launder and keep clean. The strap is preferably about 1 /2 inches wide, and is connected at one end to a retractor 28, which is mounted on the left-hand side of the hood 12 adjacent the edge of the circular opening 14. The other end of the strap is connected to the opposite side of the hood 12 by releasable attaching means 30, consisting of an elongated loop ring 32, which is sewn into one end of the strap, and which is enga'geable over a hook member 34 that is mounted on the right-hand side of the hood adjacent the edge of the circular opening 14.

The hook member 34 comprises a plate 36 that lies flat against the outside of the hood 12 and is attached thereto by two rivets 38. Projecting from one edge of the plate are two laterally spaced fingers 40, the ends of which are curled to form hooks 42, which are engageable by the loop ring 32, as shown in FIGURE 6.

The retractor 28 is preferably spring-powered, and operates on the same principle as the well-known window shade. The mechanism of the retractor comprises a spiral spring 43 contained within a generally cylindrical housing 44 at one end thereof. One end of the spring 43 is attached to the housing, and the other end thereof is connected to a rotatable spindle 47 at the center of the housing. The strap 26 is attached at one end to the spindle 47 and passes through a slot 45 in one side of the housing. The strap 26 is wound around the spindle 47 in such a way that the spring 43 is wound tighter when the strap is pulled out of the housing. The housing 44 has mounting feet 46 on its underside, that bear against the outer shell 16 and are secured thereto by rivets 4'8.

The function of the retractor 28 is to draw the strap 26 up into the housing 44 when not in use. To use the strap 26 for a headrest, the patron merely reaches up to the housing 44 with the right hand, grasps the loop ring 32 in her fingers, and pulls the strap across to the other side of the hood, where the loop ring 32 is engaged over the hooks 42. The strap 26 thus extends chordwise across the circular opening 14 on the forward portion of the hair dryer and is stretched taut.

When the patron rests her head against the strap, the latter extends across the forehead and provides a wide band of support, bearing only lightly against the forehead because of the large area of contact, and the long moment arm from the point of contact to the hinge point of the neck. The strap 26 not only supports the weight of the head, but also keeps the head from rolling to one side or the other. For sanitary reasons, a fresh strip of disposable tissue will normally be placed on the foreheadcontacting side of the strap each time that the strap is used. Obviously, the headrest strap 26 has no constricting effect on the breathing or swallowing, and therefore the patron can relax completely and doze off with no trouble. Moreover, the very gentle pressure of the strap against the forehead has a relaxing effect, which helps to induce sleep.

One important feature of the invention is that it supports the head in a slightly forward-tilted position, so that the hair rolled up on rollers at the back of the head and nape of the neck is presented to the interior of the dryer, where it is exposed to maximum circulation of the warm, dry air. As a result, the hair tends to dry more evenly and quickly, and a shorter time is required under the dryer.

Another advantageous feature of the invention is that the patron can easily pull the strap across the front of the dryer hood and fasten it herself, without reguiring attention from the operator. This is a welcome feature in certain shops where the operators are extremely busy, as it minimizes non-essential demands on their time.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the broad scope of the following claims. For example, the

retractor 28 might be eliminated, and the strap 26 connected at both ends to the hood 12 by the hook and loopring arrangement shown in FIG. 6, or by any other quick-detachable connection. It is also contemplated that with certain makes and models of dryers, it may be preferable to attach the ends of the strap 26 to attachment points on the inside of the hood, instead of on the outside, as shown in the drawings.

I claim:

1. A head rest attachment for use with a hair dryer having a hood with a circular opening in the bottom side thereof, comprising:

a strap extending chordwise across said circular opening at the front of said hood; a spring-powered retractor mounted on one side of said hood adjacent the edge of said circular opening;

said strap being connected at one end to said retractor, whereby the strap can be retracted when not in use; and

releasable means for attaching the other end of said strap to said hood on the other side of said opening, said means comprising an elongated loop ring member engageable with a cooperating hook member, one of said members being attached to the other end of said strap and the other member being mounted on said hood adjacent the edge of said circular opening.

2. A head rest attachment for use with a hair dryer, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said elongated loop ring is attached to said other end of said strap, and said hook is mounted on said hood.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 482,629 9/ 1892 Flynn 24225 2,268,294 12/1941 Mayer 3496 2,446,962 8/1948 Spring 34-90 2,481,645 9/1949 Conill 3499 X 2,488,858 11/1949 Franz 297388 3,163,467 12/1964 Deneau 297388 FOREIGN PATENTS 950,412 3/ 1949 France.

FREDERICK MATTESON, 1a., Primary Examiner. A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner. 

